16052 Steps
by Fancy Face
Summary: Takes place where the movie left off... Winnie and her family go on a world tour. On one of their stops, they stop at Paris. Winnie goes to the Eiffel Tower and she runs into an old friend. A one chapter fic. *reposted*


**Author's Note: **Okay, this if my first "Tuck Everlasting" fic. I've read the book and seen the movie. However, this is more movie based because it's easier to write about. Please excuse if any info may be wrong like time wise.

**16052 Steps:**

**By: LOSTwitch**

Winifred Foster, or Winnie as she liked to be called, stood in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. She couldn't believe that she was actually in Paris. She and her family had traveled here from a small town in the States known as Treegap.

Memories started to fill her mind as she thought of Treegap. Treegap had been her home for fifteen years. Back in Treegap her life had been rather boring in her opinion. Her mother and father were determined to turn her into a first class young lady but she didn't want that. She wanted adventure. One day she got that adventure. When she couldn't take it anymore, she had ran away from her home, and had gone into the woods.

The woods were one of her favorite places because they gave her comfort that her world did not. She ran until she grew tired. Winnie then walked. She didn't feel comfort anymore. Winnie knew she was lost. As she continued to walk she had come upon a young man drinking from a spring. The young man stopped drinking and noticed her. Winnie told him that she was lost and as just as he was about to show her back to her home, an older man had grabbed her. He then took her to a small cabin, and that's when she met a family she would never forget: the Tucks.

The Tucks were very nice people but she was frightened of them at first, they were strangers to her after all. There were four of them: Angus, Mae, Miles, and Jesse. Jesse was the one that she saw drinking at the spring. After she got to know the Tucks, she grew to love them. Over time she and Jesse grew close. The two had fallen in love with each other.

When Winnie had stayed with them, Jesse had shown her the whole forest. Jesse had shown her a mountain that was two feet higher then the Eiffel Tower. The view was incredible. Jesse had told her that one day the two of them would go visit the real tower, but alas, that did never happen. As nice as the Tucks were, they had secret, a secret that Winnie would soon find out.

Jesse had told her that he, and his family, were immortal. He had told her that 100 years ago he and his family had come across a magical spring. They all took a drink of it, and they soon learned that they could not die. Winnie was shocked at first but then she looked past that. Jesse then asked her to drink from the water so the two of them could be together forever, but Angus had talked to Winnie afterwards and told her not to drink from the spring. Winnie did some thinking after that. Should she drink from the water or not? In the end, she did not drink the water, and now she regretted that decision.

Winnie came back to the present, and looked up at the tower before her. "16052 steps," she said to herself as she looked up.

"Winifred," she turned to see her mother standing next to her. "Come dear, we wish to take the elevator."

"Mother," Winnie said to her. "Would it be all right if I walked up instead?"

"Winifred Foster, are you mad?" replied her mother in a state of shock.

"No, I just wish to walk up instead of ride."

Mrs. Foster looked at her daughter and could see that Winnie really wanted to do this. "All right," she finally said. "Just please be careful. Don't talk to anyone, and when you get up to the top I want you ride the elevator back down with us."

"Yes mother." Winnie told her. "Thank you."

Her mother then turned to Mr. Foster who was nearby and the two went one of the

elevators. Winnie watched as the elevator went up. She then looked back up at the tower.

"Well, here I go," she said to herself.

However, before she could take one step, a familiar voice said to her: "Well, I be. If isn't Miss. Winnie

Foster!" Winnie knew that voice.

Winnie spun around, and there stood Jesse Tuck! She couldn't believe it. "Jesse Tuck! What in the world? I thought I would never see you again!" she said as she ran and embraced him tightly.

He embraced her back. When they parted, he said: "Never say never." Jesse laughed. Then asked: "What are you doing here in Paris?"

"I didn't want to live at Treegap anymore since you and your family left." answered Winnie. "Speaking of which, how are they?"

"They are well." Jesse answered with a smile. "They are here with me. We're staying at a small house out in the country."

"It must be lovely."

"It is." replied Jesse. "You must come with me to see them. They will be thrilled to see you!"

Winnie sighed, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Jesse, I didn't drink the water." she said to him.

"Why?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to be with me."

"I do. More then anything, but I remembered what Angus told me."

"I knew I should have stayed with you. Then maybe I could have convinced you to drink it."

An award silence came between them. "Well, we can't do anything about that now." Winnie said, breaking the silence. "However, there is something we can do."

"And what's that?" asked Jesse.

"Walk up to the top." Winnie answered. "After all, you did promise me you would walk with me Mr. Jesse Tuck."

"I believe you're right." replied Jesse with a smile. "C'mon. I'll race ya!"

Before Winnie could answer him, he took off running to the stairs of the tower. "Hey! You cheater!" Winnie said and ran after him.

The two raced up the steps. Winnie won the race. However, the truth was that Jesse had let her win. He would never tell her that though.

End


End file.
